


Holistic Episodic Recollection

by sanctum_c



Series: Renegade Aeris x Cloud Week 2019 [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gold Saucer (Compilation of FFVII), Gold Saucer play, Hook-Up, Introspection, Memories, Non-Explicit Sex, Recovered Memories, what might have been
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27153997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Aeris revisits a fond memory of a trip to the Gold Saucer and the man she met there.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: Renegade Aeris x Cloud Week 2019 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982047
Kudos: 1





	Holistic Episodic Recollection

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'OG Reminiscence' and 'One Scene'
> 
> Some of this was inspired by (no longer on Ao3) ‘Gossip Finds’ by icyboots - which, somewhat fittingly, turned out I had misremembered a number of details in the interim.

The memory was oft-visited. This meant in turn that it was no longer authentic, or perhaps more accurately, it had acquired embellishments, edits, given a shinier veneer than the real. It was all too possible that rather than a singular version of the event in question, it was fragments of many different occasions, or perhaps mostly from one night with highlights for another. The recall and revisiting of the memory changed it over time. Impossible to prevent.

No matter; it remained one of Aeris’s favourites. The trip to the Gold Saucer had been part of a birthday celebration. Most likely hers, but even this detail was unclear. That was more the result of the alcohol than anything else.

The Gold Saucer was nominally an amusement park and to that end felt focused on a younger audience than Aeris’s twenty-two years accounted for. This was not quite correct. While the big attractions were family friendly (rollercoasters! Arcades! Overly gothic hotel!) there was amongst, beside and beyond those activities others intended for a more mature audience. Certainly the Chocobo Races while entertaining for the youngsters had its area set up specifically for wagers. Battle square off limits to anyone below eighteen – and few kids would ever find something of interest in amongst Dio’s massed collection of trinkets and artefacts.

Plus there were bars – where Aeris and friends had spent a good majority of their time before crashing into the theatre. In retrospect, and in the clear light of day, what should happen in the theatre had a lot of question marks over it. Aeris was clear enough on what she did, where she had gone, how she wound up involved and the aftermath. But surely something was wrong? Had they somehow crashed some event while drunk they were not supposed to?

Not a thing to dwell on again. No memory of disappointed, angry adults and bawling kids as a result. But then- No matter.

The attendants had asked for volunteers and Aeris thought it sounded fun. Aeris ushered up from the crowd and backstage to the cheering of her friends. Did she have lines? She’d said something that sounded right. Maybe improvised. Maybe not. Either way she stood up into the rafters and clipped into a harness alongside a bulky guy wearing a cartoonish dragon costume.

Below the play carried on to much raucous laughter from the audience. Another volunteer was on-stage – and from this vantage point – out of sight. He seemed to be taking this all about as seriously as Aeris; not at all. The cast did not help matters, leaving obvious loop-holes in his responses and actions.

“Seek out the one who can help you!” Boomed a voice over the loudspeakers.

“Hey.”

“I, um. Are you sure I, a mere knight, are the one who can help you defeat the Evil Magical Dragon King?”

“Yep.”

The audience chortled again. The man behind her murmured something; before she could parse his words, she plummeted to the stage alongside him, the harness not offering much of a break. Warm and bright out in front of the lights. To the back and right of the stage was a man dressed as a wizard looking off-stage while a woman with a headset mouthed instructions at him. Towards the front was a knight in tin-foil armour holding an exaggerated, uncomfortable pose of absolute horror. And right before her was a man with spikey blond hair and blue eyes. He grinned.

“Now, brave Sir Alfred, defeat the Evil Dragon King!” A voice boomed. The blond man pointed at himself. “Yes, you!” The man shrugged.

The wizard turned his attention back to the stage. “Um, the power of love will surely best the Evil Dragon King.”

The man met her gaze and smirked. Ah, a setup then. Hard not to feel a thrill as he walked towards her. This was a play, but by implication- Aeris’s friends were screaming their support from the audience. “Oh, oh Alfred, you came for me.” Corny line but about in keeping with everything else.

‘Alfred’ halted in front of her; she looked up. “Sorry princess.”

“Why, Sir Alfred, what can you possibly have to apologise for?” This was fun.

“Well.” ‘Alfred’ scrubbed at his hair. “Just, now standing here, seeing the two of you, I think I prefer the Evil Dragon King.” ‘Alfred’ leant past her to kiss the cheek of the costume. Aeris fault to hide her giggles even while she swooned. And here again a point where memory felt it must be fallible. How was it possible or plausible that the actors had prepared for this situation? No sooner had ‘Alfred’ completed his smooch when the Evil Dragon King rose out of sight – and for a woman in a pink tutu to descend in his place.

“Why, thank you Sir Alfred! You have broken the dragon’s curse. Come, now we can live happily ever after.” The former-Evil Dragon King twirled her way off stage, followed by both ‘Alfred’, the wizard and the knight.

“Alas, the Princess was forgotten about by her knight.” Aeris grinned, folded her arms and assumed a stern expression. An angry foot stomp gained her a new wave of applause, and both the players and ‘Alfred’ returned to take a bow.

Aeris caught ‘Alfred’’s arm after. “Thank you for that. I had a lot of fun.”

‘Alfred’ grinned and there was some unimportant small-talk for a while. She learned his name was Cloud, and waved her friends off to their own devices when they grew bored. She and Cloud carried on talking, each trying to make the other laugh more. They meandered through the Gold Saucer, wasting a few gil on the chocobo races, on the arcades. The evening passed in a blur and one thing inevitably lead to another. Making out became more passionate. Passionate kissing demanded more privacy. And once in private, clothes were an impediment soon dispensed with.

And perhaps there could have been more there. If the night in question had not been Aeris’s last at the Gold Saucer. If transport was not arranged for so early the next morning. If she had not snuck out and not disturbed Cloud when her PHS rang and her friends hurried her to catch up. What would it have been like to linger?

Another branch not taken in the ever diverging reality of her life. That was enough.

Aeris relaxed and lowered the sphere from beside her head. Captured within the crystalline structure was her memory of that night as of her last recall. A shame the capture was not made earlier. When the memory would have been truer. But did that matter? To relive was a delight and now she need not fear a failing memory as time passed. There were other memories to retrieve but- For now, something else. Aeris carefully laid the materia sphere in its container and headed for the garden.


End file.
